A Risk Worth Taking
by Shi-chan1
Summary: Duo and Quatre were normal college students until the Soldats came. About a year after their capture and enslavement, the two escape. They thought the only problem they'd deal with from there out was survival... they were wrong...
1. One

Title: A Risk Worth Taking  
Author: Shi-chan (utenakat@yahoo.com or shinigami_ynm@yahoo.com)  
Archive: GW Addiction; otherwise: yes, please tell me.  
Category: AU, shounen ai/yaoi  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairings: eventually 1x2, 3x4  
()()()()  
Warnings: none yet  
()()()()  
Spoilers: none  
Disclaimer: nothing is mine. :-p  
Feedback: Pretty pretty pretty please!  
  
NOTES: at the end of the part  
  
  
A Risk Worth Taking  
---------------------------------  
  
Duo dropped a fruit down from his little alcove in the dense green foliage of the tall tree. Quatre, sitting on the limb below, caught it with ease. Duo sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. Was it ever anything but summer on this planet? The humidity thickened air hung about with an ominous prescence, just waiting for... something. He didn't know what, but he felt as if something was going to happen.... and soon.  
  
"Na, Quatre?" Duo said, poking his head down below and pausing to bite into the fleshy fruit he held. "Are we safe?"  
  
Quatre's brow creased in concentration and the blond held very still. After a few seconds, he relaxed and smiled angelically up at his friend. "Yeah, we're safe.... for now."  
  
"Good!" Duo said, biting into his fruit again. As he chewed, letting the sweet juice dribble off his chin and down his throat, he thought about the risk they had taken in escaping. They new next to nothing about this planet, only what they had gathered during their enslavement (which was next to nil but enough to survive). Sitting up, Duo glared through the canopy, watching the sunlight stream through the breaks in the cover like so many beams in a lazer show.  
  
Suddenly, a black dot flitted across the light followed by another. At a distance, Duo heard the roar of engines and machine gun fire. He paused on his perch, listening.  
  
-----  
  
Heero cursed at the control panels as the power began draining, leaking out from the damaged core. His strong hands danced across the keys in rapid sucession, trying, in a desperate plight, to keep his little vessel from taking a sudden nose dive into the lush forrest below.  
  
The shuttle behind him fired again, targeting his thrusters and knocking them off-line.  
  
"Damn," he hissed as power ceased and the little ship began descending very quickly.  
  
-----  
  
Quatre jumped, nearly falling off the branch, as the boom of the crash reached them. He nearly toppled over again as Duo swung down gracefully and danced his way, limb to limb, down the tree. He watched as the braided boy hit the ground running, his speed like that of a Terran panther.  
  
Shaking his head, and slowly climbing down, Quatre muttered to himself. "Panthera, Panthera, Panthera.... heedless into the thick of it, as always." Once on the ground, he too took off after the source of the thunderous noise.  
  
-----  
  
Duo crept toward the downed Soldat ship, his eyes glancing about the demolished canopy for the chaser ship. Careful not be be in viewing range, Duo slunk through the shadows to the side of the ship. He slammed his hand on the hatch mechanism (the Soldats were far stronger than humans, therefore their machinery was built to compensate and not break under their force). The door slid open with a ear-piercing screach of metal against metal.  
  
Duo peaked in, unsure of what he could find therein. What he encountered froze him in surprise. There, against the console, a thin trickle of blood oozing from a cut on his forehead, was a man.... "Soldat...." Duo hissed, looking the body over. The muscles fairly buldged with strenght and his features were hard and expressionless... even in unconsciousness.  
  
Duo looked up sharply as he heard the whine of flitter engines overhead. He was about to high-tail and run, but one look at the man hunched over the dead controls stopped him. He stood there for a moment, brow creased with internal conflict, then slowly he stepped into the small ship and began pulling the body from the wreckage.  
  
Quatre skidded to a hault beside the shuttle, his breath coming in gasps as he bent over, winded. "Duo..." he said between intakes of the sticky air, "they're coming! We have to get out of here!"  
  
Duo looked up at him, then back at the body. Quatre looked at the man Duo was dragging and nearly fell over. "S-soldat!" Duo nodded and continued to try and pull the body some ways away from the crash location. "Duo! We have to save ourselves! Let his own people take care of him!" He began to walk off, sure Duo would come to his senses and follow him. "He's one of them! Leave him!" Quatre yelled. When Duo did not answer he turned around, eyes widening. "Duo!" He squawked.  
  
"I can't, Quatre..." he said sadly, looking down at the fallen man. "I can't just leave him for them to get him... Look, they were after him - they don't go after their own kind without reason! He could be a help to us." He pulled the limp arm over his shoulder. "C'mon, let's go before we're all caught!"  
  
-----  
  
"Why, Duo!?" Quatre hissed as Duo bandaged the dark haired Soldat's head wound.  
  
"You're supposed to be the compassionate one, Quatre. You tell me?" Duo said quietly. He ran his eyes over the chiseled features of the young Soldat that lay on the ground before him. The dark hair and tanned skin 'statue' was something akin to the ancient works of Greek and Roman sculptural art of old Terra, chiselled and perfect.  
  
"Duo, you know he could kill us.... Soldat, unlike humans, don't have that quality of compassion that makes us think before we act...." Quatre said, sitting on the ground.  
  
"If I recall correctly, Cat, not all humans possess said quality either," Duo sighed. And the two sat in silence for a while.  
  
"Nnnn," drew the attention of the two humans as deep prussian eyes fluttered open.  
  
'Kirei,' was all Duo could think as the deep oceans focused on him and prussian locked with violet in a searing gaze.  
  
  
  
End Part 1  
Notes:  
1) 'Soldat' is French for soldier ^_^ I thought it appropriate.  
  
Please, pretty, pretty please, tell me what you think! I know I said I was going to work on older fics, but this has been begging to be written. C&C is great! Please! I need it to live!  
  
  
Shi-chan 


	2. Two

This part is about 1/3 of a page shorter than part 1, but that's ok! ^_^ Thanks for all the replies to part 1~! ^_^ (Almost puts it above certain one part fics! ^o^).... On with the fic!  
  
Title: A Risk Worth Taking  
Author: Shi-chan (utenakat@yahoo.com or shinigami_ynm@yahoo.com)  
Archive: GW Addiction; otherwise: yes, please tell me.  
Category: AU, shounen ai/yaoi  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairings: eventually 1x2, 3x4  
()()()()  
Warnings: none yet  
()()()()  
Spoilers: none  
Disclaimer: nothing is mine. :-p  
Feedback: Pretty pretty pretty please!  
  
NOTES: at the end of the part  
  
  
A Risk Worth Taking  
---------------------------------  
  
"Nnnn," drew the attention of the two humans as deep prussian eyes fluttered open.  
  
'Kirei,' was all Duo could think as the deep oceans focused on him and prussian locked with violet in a searing gaze.  
  
-end part 1-  
  
Quatre watched as the two stared at one another, glancing back and forth between the two. Both sets of eyes, cobalt and violet, were riveted to one another and Quatre could feel a twinge of the red thread of destiny in this meeting. He sighed and coughed slightly.  
  
-----  
  
Heero stared deep into the amethyst orbs that sparkled with inner strength and beauty (although that was also external, he noted). He continued to stare at the human infront of him, a mere boy... young and appearing to be untouched. 'Exquisite...' he thought to himself. A cough brought him out of his reverie.  
  
-----  
  
Duo could not move his glance, he was too caught up in the ocean eyes that were fixed upon his own violet pools. Quatre's discrete cough drew him from his stupor.  
  
He blinked at the blond as the Soldat affixed the small boy with an icy glare.  
  
"Duo..." Quatre began. Then stopped as the Soldat mouthed the name, tasting it and his face going contemplative before he turned back to stare at the boy of said name.  
  
"Duo...?" he said. Duo nodded. "Hn."  
  
Duo looked at the still-prone figure, curious. "What's your name?"  
  
"My name?" the Soldat repeated. He stared at Duo as if trying to decipher the data. "Heero," he said finally.  
  
"Heero," Duo repeated. 'How appropriate,' he thought, then frowned. 'What the--?'  
  
Quatre was speaking again. "Duo, we're too close... if he finds it he could turn us in..." he hissed at the braided boy.  
  
Duo paled and swallowed thickly.  
  
"You've helped me... Honor requires that I return the gesture," Heero said, his voice nasal as he pronounced the English as precisely as possible.  
  
Duo nodded then turned to look at the blond. "We need to find a safe place to hide...."  
  
"The flitter....?" Quatre asked.  
  
Duo nodded. "Yeah."  
  
-----  
  
The trio trudged through the thick undergrowth, Duo in the lead, Heero behind him glaring intently at the swinging braid, and Quatre brought up the rear. He watched the Soldat closely, knowing that he was important to their destiny and sensing his fixation with Quatre's braided comrade. Quatre sighed mentally, 'Duo doesn't realize that this Heero has his eyes on him... literally as well as figuratively....'  
  
As they staggered on, the oppressive heat of the Baltinine summer wrapping its thick blanket around them smotheringly, they came across a small river. The river was fed by a mountain stream in the form of a waterfall. They stopped momentarily to cool down.  
  
"I feel like a dip!" Duo cried out, stripping off his shirt and tossing it to the side. He was oblivious to the flash of lust that clouded prussian eyes, but Quatre was not.  
  
Quatre walked over to the Soldat, giving him a meaningful glare. Heero raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "Don't even think about it, Soldat. He's pure and I intend to keep him that way.... no Soldat is gonna lay his grimey hands on him. Be warned."  
  
Heero surprised Quatre by smirking slightly before replying. "And you, a puny human, could keep a Soldat elite from what he choses to take?"  
  
"I may be small, but I swear, by Allah, is you lay a finger on him, I will fucking kill you...." Quatre hissed.  
  
"Hey! Guys! Coming in? The water's great! Kinda cold though!" Duo called out. He hadn't heard their conversation due to the roar of the waterfall and was currently happily treading water like a pup.  
  
"Don't worry about your friend, human. I wouldn't hurt him nor force him into anything he wouldn't want...." Heero said, his face impassive, unreadable. Quatre hoped he was telling the truth.  
  
  
  
End Part 2  
Notes:  
Someone guessed and I think I'll mention it here. This fic is based of a book by Anne McCaffrey (Freedom's Landing). Not a normal fussion for me, ne? I am enjoying this one! ^_^ OK, well, I have plans for the rest of the fic, but I have no clue how long this will be. I wonder if I can get it done in 15? ::grins:: Thanks very much for the the numerous replies to part 1! Eleven replies to one part is very very encouraging! Ok, I'm beginning on part 3, now. I know that the parts are short (3 pages), but I'm just ending them where I feel it best to end them. Thanks again.  
  
  
Shi-chan 


	3. Three

Title: A Risk Worth Taking  
Author: Shi-chan (utenakat@yahoo.com or shinigami_ynm@yahoo.com)  
Archive: GW Addiction; otherwise: yes, please tell me.  
Category: AU, shounen ai/yaoi  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairings: eventually 1x2, 3x4  
()()()()  
Warnings: none yet  
()()()()  
Spoilers: none  
Disclaimer: nothing is mine. :-p  
Feedback: Pretty pretty pretty please!  
  
NOTES: at the end of the part  
  
  
A Risk Worth Taking  
---------------------------------  
  
Heero climbed up the bank of the river effortlessly. He watched the blond ('Did they ever tell me his name?') try to pull his shivering friend up the steep bank. He sighed and walked over to two. Pushing the blond out of the way, he hauled the braided human up with ease.  
  
"T-t-thank y-you..." Duo said around chattering teeth, smiling at the Soldat. Heero just nodded. Duo looked around for his shirt only to find it pop up in front of his face. He blinked at the black material, then up at the person holding it out to him. "Thanks, Heero...." Again, Heero nodded. Duo pulled on the shirt and they were once again on their way.  
  
-----  
  
"We'll take you back to the nearest colony...." Quatre said as he readied the systems for take off.  
  
"Hn," Heero replied.  
  
"Systems up, Cat?" Duo asked from the back where he was fiddling with the engine.  
  
"Yeah, Duo. Up and waiting..." The sound of the engines wailing to life drown out the rest of his sentence.  
  
A grinning Duo bounced in and plopped himself down in the pilot seat. Quatre just looked at the happy boy and rolled his eyes. Sometimes Duo was just too happy for him.  
  
Heero took his seat behind the two, glaring at the blond. 'Cat? What kind of name is that?' Heero thought as he watched them begin take off sequence. The two boys looked very small compared to the seats they sat in, Heero noted.  
  
"On 'three,' Quatre...." Duo said.  
  
'Quatre... so 'Cat' is a... what do the humans call it? Nickname?' Heero thought to himself, filing the information away.  
  
"One.... two...." Duo poised his hand over the thruster switch. Glancing at Quatre then back at Heero... he almost forgot to finish the sequence, but caught himself. "Three!"  
  
Two hands slapped down on the controls and the flitter began to shake as the engines revved and the little craft slowly began ascending.  
  
"Where are we headed?" Heero asked over the roar of the engines.  
  
"The Capital... this thing won't make it much further...." Duo said, adjusting some controls.  
  
"Hn."  
  
-----  
  
"Oi, Heero...." Duo called back as they crusied toward the capital. "Why were those other Soldats so bent on catching you?"  
  
"I was forced to kill their wing leader," Heero monotoned in that gruff, nasal voice Duo was growing to enjoy listening to. "He failed a mission set to him by his superiors. His failure caused the deaths of 15 other of his class and one of mine. Justice had to be exacted. Enraged, the other members, without knowledge of his crime, took after me. So I fled."  
  
"Oh..." Duo mouthed. "He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day..." Duo chirped the age old clichŽ.   
  
"Hn. The next day..."  
  
"Nani? Er, what?!"  
  
"The next day.... they have 1 day from the time I killed him to kill me, or the chase is null and I am free," Heero stated.  
  
"Oh.... weird system, but hey! Whatever works!" Duo grinned back the the scowling Soldat. "Looks like, then, that we need to set down and wait'er out, ne?"  
  
"As long as I am not caught, I do not care what you do...." Heero said. Quatre caught the slight, almost undetectable, inflection in the Soldat's voice. The intonement of 'but I'd enjoy doing you...' Quatre scowled and concentrated on finding a safe place to land.  
  
-----  
  
The trio sat around the blazing fire, the flames licking the logs, causing the sap to crackle and pop, filling the air with the sweet, spicy scent of cinnamon.  
  
"So tell us about this one day fight business..." Duo prompted, still curious.  
  
"Like I said before, the members who have a quarrel with the accused, in this case me, have 1 day to find and kill the offender... after the end of that time, all bets are off and the person walks.... free and clear of the accusation/crime/whatever."  
  
"Even if you killed their leader?" Duo asked.  
  
"It was a fair fight," Heero grunted.  
  
"I didn't know you Soldat fought fair..." Quatre said in a near growl.  
  
"We do," Heero grunted in reply. His face was stony, then lit with realization and he smirked. "You don't think it's fair that we took over your planet...?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
The Soldat sat up from his possition on the ground to stare at the indignant blond. "Your planet was defenseless. It was all too easy to subjugate...."  
  
"You take over many planets that way?" Duo asked, getting kind of irritated by the idea that the Soldat did this as often as implied.  
  
Heero nodded and reached for the fruit beside Duo's leg, 'accidentally' brushing against him in the process. Duo felt a thrill run through him at the contact. Quatre noticed Heero's little 'slip' and fixed the Soldat with a glare.  
  
Unperturbed, Heero bit into the fruit... sensually licking the sticky juice from his lips and casting a glance at the braided boy....  
  
Duo was entranced by Heero's actions and when the Soldat licked his lips, ohhh he almost fell over. The Soldat was like a great lion, sinewy and sleek and very, very snesual. Duo wanted to be near him, but didn't understand how.... He'd lived a very shelted life on Old Terra....  
  
Quatre felt Duo's draw to the strong and handsome Soldat.... He was beginning to fear for his friend. He knew the Soldat was playing off the boy's youth and innocence, but he couldn't do anything about it if that was really what Duo chose... He was in a bind.  
  
  
End Part 3  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
Ok, that was a little longer... it didn't want to stop! ::growls:: I hope that is clearing up some stuff and that that end was clear enough... ::sighs:: Ok, so now we know that Soldat is a race not of Earth, right? They took over and enslaved the population. Heero's on the run because he exacted justice ::snickers:: for a crime and now is in the sights of the dude's fellow pilots. Next chapter we'll get to the Capital of Baltinine and go from there! ^_^ 


	4. Four

Title: A Risk Worth Taking  
Author: Shi-chan (utenakat@yahoo.com or shinigami_ynm@yahoo.com)  
Archive: GW Addiction; otherwise: yes, please tell me.  
Category: AU, shounen ai/yaoi  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairings: eventually 1x2, 3x4  
()()()()  
Warnings: none yet  
()()()()  
Spoilers: none  
Disclaimer: nothing is mine. :-p  
Feedback: Pretty pretty pretty please!  
  
NOTES: at the end of the part  
  
  
A Risk Worth Taking  
---------------------------------  
  
The sun ascended to the heavens and three sets of eyes blinked open; cerulean, followed by prussian, and finally violet. Prussian followed the cat-like stretch of the bearer of aforementioned violet eyes, his perceptive orbs drinking in the display of sleek, sinewy beauty. He watched lustfully as the lean muscles played under creamy skin. He wanted the boy and Heero always got what he wanted.  
  
"Mmm, I'm hungry," Duo purred, a yawn stretching his features. "Got any food ready, Cat?"  
  
"It's almost ready, Duo...." Quatre sighed, stiring the soup.  
  
The morning went by, uneventful, and zenith approached. Quatre had figured the Soldat would be growing restless to be back with his kind, but the man seemed loath to return. 'He'd better leave Duo alone.... I don't want to have to kill him, but if I must...' He watched his friend bake himself in the sun, the golden rays kissing his soft flesh like so many worshiping followers. Duo had his shirt off and his tight black pants, cut short to deal with the heat, were pushed up to about mid-thigh, showing off his hairless legs. Quatre'd once wondered if the boy shaved his legs, but this little excursion had poven that though false. The boy just had naturally hairless legs. 'All the hair must go to his head...' Quatre thought eyeing the braid that snaked out to the side, the sun glinting off the golden and highlights.... Quatre had to admit, his friend was beautiful. Inside as well as out. Duo was just an all around beautiful person. 'There should be more like him....'  
  
"Duo, let's ready the flitter," Quatre said, standing from his spot on the sun warmed rock they'd appropriated. He didn't really want to end their reverie, but they had to take the Soldat back.... 'or something regrettable will happen.'  
  
"Nn, why, Q? 'S nice 'ere...." Duo murmured, his arm thrown over his eyes as he lay, soaking up the sun's rays like a feline. i"Oh I, I have been good. I understood. And like a machine, they'll fix you. From the start, I'm in repair. Life that we share, I know that I'll be lost...."/i Duo murmured, the words from an old song falling aimlessly off his lips. [1]  
  
'He should be nicknamed 'Cat',' Heero though, eyeing the boy from under near-closed lids.  
  
"Why? He needs to get back to his people.... besides," Quatre said, knowing, with Duo's draw to the man and the Soldat's fixating on said boy, he'd have to give another reason. "We need to steal some supplies.... we only -had- provisions for two, not three."  
  
"Mmmm, fine," Duo muttered, sitting up and glaring at his friend. He blinked when he found a large calloused hand before his eyes. Smiling up at Heero, placing his hand in the proffered one and letting himself be hauled into a standing position. He found himself in very close proximity to the strong, muscular body and felt his body react to the closeness. He gupled and stepped back, hoping that Heero didn't noticed his predicament. He could still smell the strong scent of sandlewood and musk that was Heero. It was intoxicating and Duo wanted more of it. But... that wouldn't happen, he knew. He grinned at the dark-haired Soldat. "Thanks, Heero."  
  
Heero just nodded. Sure enough, he had noticed Duo's reaction and was very pleased. Turning he walked past Quatre, casting the irritated blond a glance that said "he's mine." The boy just glared at him, contemptuously.  
  
-----  
  
"The engine's busted... I'll have to rig it to get it the fly," Duo sighed, wiping his face with his arm, some oil getting onto his nose.  
  
'Cute,' Heero thought. He reached out and wiped the oil off the boy's nose. Duo crossed his eyes, watching what Heero was doing, then uncrossed them, blushing slightly at Heero's smile/smirk.  
  
"Eh... Ok, I'll get to work on the flitter.... Cat? You checkin' the electrical?"  
  
"Yeah, Duo.... I need to rewire some of this, but nothing major.... It looks like some animal got to it during the night," Quatre sighed, irritated. He had a feeling that that animal was the one standing not a foot from the braided boy and this irritated him further still.  
  
-----  
  
"Tweak this.... turn that.... just a little further.... ahhh, that's it.... um, this goes there... nnn, let's see.... list goes to this one and that.... oh I see!" Was the running commentary from under the hatch of the flitter's engine. Duo was hanging half in and half out of the compartment, his feet kicking a bit as he tinkered and tweaked. He blew irritatedly at the long, jagged bangs that continued to fall into his face, slinging the braid, that had managed to slither its way over his shoulder, out of the way. 'May I should just cut it!' he thought angrily, then blinked at his thought, grinning. "Naw!" he giggled.  
  
-----  
  
Quatre watched Heero approach the boy hunching over the open engine panel. He saw, also, the lust and intent glinting in the prussian eyes and would be damned if he let the Soldat have his way with his friend. Without thinking, his hand came down on the crook of Heero's neck and the man collapsed in a heap. Duo spun around as the body hit the ground, surprise and shock on his face. Quatre looked at the dumb-struck boy. "He was about to hurt you," he said. It wasn't a lie, the Soldat could have hurt Duo.... hurt him in more ways than one. Quatre watched the pained look on Duo's face, but wouldn't let that bother him. He'd done what was best for the boy. Yes, what was best and that's what mattered. "Let's get him in the flitter and drop him at the Capital, before he wakes preferably."  
  
Duo sighed and nodded, closing the panel and helping the blond to drag the unconscious man into the flitter.  
  
-----  
  
Finally the flitter was ready for flight. Duo cast a glance at the prone form of the Soldat, sighing. He strapped himself into the co-pilot's seat, letting Quatre take the helm this time. The blond stared straight forward, his azure gaze intense. Duo sighed again and looked out the window as the little craft took off and flew South-ward.  
  
-----  
  
Quatre landed the flitter just outside the gates, intent on dropping the body and leaving, but his intent was quashed when he rememebered that they needed supplies. Leaving the body, they were about to begin the climb over the city walls when all hell broke loose.  
  
  
End Part 4  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
[1] Song: 'In Repair' by Our Lady Peace. I don't know why I put that there.... it has no relevence to the fic, I just had that song playing and had to type that in. About 3 full pages (give or take a couple of lines)... I had to end there because it works for what I want to do in part 5. (How's that A-chan!) 


	5. Five

Title: A Risk Worth Taking  
Author: Shi-chan (utenakat@yahoo.com or shinigami_ynm@yahoo.com)  
Archive: GW Addiction; otherwise: yes, please tell me.  
Category: AU, shounen ai/yaoi  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairings: eventually 1x2, 3x4  
()()()()  
Warnings: none yet  
()()()()  
Spoilers: none  
Disclaimer: nothing is mine. :-p  
Feedback: Pretty pretty pretty please!  
  
NOTES: at the end of the part  
  
  
A Risk Worth Taking  
---------------------------------  
  
Quatre landed the flitter just outside the gates, intent on dropping the body and leaving, but his intent was quashed when he rememebered that they needed supplies. Leaving the body, they were about climb out of the flitter when all hell broke loose. [1]  
  
-end part 4-  
  
Something was going on, there was alot of noise and it sounded menacing. Quatre ignored it, often times distant sounds sounded more threatening that they really were. They hauled the body out of the flitter, Duo carring the shoulders and Quatre the feet. They were so busy trying to unload the Soldat that Quatre failed to notice that the sound was getting closer.  
  
Duo blinked at the roar and nearly dropped his hold on the man's green tank top. [2] "Get him back in!" Duo yelled, panicking. 'Shit shit shit!'  
  
They hurried to get back into the flitter, never noticing the sickly sweet gas that was permiating the air until it was too late. Duo gasped as his vision blurred and he grew heavy on his feet, collapsing as unconsciousness claimed him.  
  
-----  
  
The ineffable fear induced stench of a myriad of bodies in close confinement and the hissing crack of a forcewhip followed by an inhuman scream awoke Quatre to the cyclic nightmare. He found himself wedged between a soft, sweaty body and the wall; his face pressing painfully against the cold concrete floor, his knees akwardly jack-knifed up on either side of his chin. With a groan he pushed the other body off him, his hand brushing across a familliar rope. "Duo?" he whispered, his voice cracking with disuse. How long had they been out?  
  
The other boy moaned, unfolding himself from the position he'd been placed in. Confussed violet eyes opened, blinking in the darkness. Quatre saw the boy gag as the putrid smell hit him. Gaining control of this reflex, Duo scanned the holding cell, his eyes widening as he recognized it as a Soldat prison cell. He noted that, yes, it was dark, but not as dark as the hold in the transport vessel that had brought them to this God-foresaken planet. He wondered, briefly, if that was a blessing.  
  
Quatre was about to get up and look for an escape when Duo spoke.   
  
"Where's Heero?" the boy asked. Quatre froze. They were in a Soldat prison and Duo was worried about that creature?  
  
"I don't know," he gritted out.  
  
"Oh," Duo said quietly, sadly. Quatre felt for the boy, but they needed to concentrate on themselves right now. In fact, he was concentrating so hard on that that he nearly missed Duo's next comment. It was quiet and dripped with true feeling. "I hope he's okay."  
  
Quatre's head whirled around at the sound of the Soldat whips snapping. The bodies around them rose swiftly to their feet and followed the line out the bright opening. Quatre hauled Duo to his feet. "C'mon," he said, pulling Duo behind him. He stopped as Duo yanked his hand out of Quatre's grasp. "What the--" he stopped abruptly as he saw the boy lean down and help one of the prisoners to their feet.  
  
It was one of the very thin Deski that the boy was supporting. His violet eyes glowed with sympathy as he helped her - for it was female - to the exit they were being herded toward. 'Sometimes it's really a disadvantage for someone to be so nice,' Quatre thought, but he, too, went to help one of the weaker creatures.  
  
As they neared the door, Quatre noticed the steam billowing in from the other room. He recognized this as one of the mass cleansing showers the Soldats used to cleanse prisoners. As usual there was a pause before entering where the Soldat guards, lustful gleams in some of their eyes, quickly stripped the clothing off the entering slaves' backs and pushed them forward into the hot spray.   
  
He heard Duo yelp as they roughly ripped the clothing from him, touching the boy more than necessary, before pushing him on through into the hot spray.  
  
The water felt good and Duo found himself enjoying the warm shower. He hadn't had one in longer than he could remember. Too bad this one would be so short.  
  
Soon they were in the drying room, warm jets of air asailing their bodies and effectively drying them. There was a short pause as they exited the chamber and both boys were handed a bundle before being shoved into the next room.  
  
Quickly the boys, as well as the rest of the captives, dressed in the clothing supplied. Quatre distantly wondered how they knew/guessed their sizes as he watched Duo slip on the tunic with practiced easy. He giggled as he noticed that, perhaps, the Soldat had a sense of humor. Duo's tunic was tightfitting and ended above his midriff, leaving his toned stomach muscles in plain sight.   
  
The boy made a face as he examined the outfit; black leather pants, black boots, black half-tunic.... Well, at least it was his favourite color.  
  
Both boys rolled up the thermal blankets that had held the clothing, tucking them under their arms.  
  
Upon entrance into the next room, they were handed a cup and a small, air tight package... 'Kinda like an MRE,' Duo thought, looking the thing over before stuffing it into the blanket for safe keeping. They found themselves pushed toward the 'soup lines' where the furry little aliens known as Rugarians were ladling out a steaming liquid into cups and then they were allowed out into the fresher air of the forcefield-netted assemble arena.  
  
The large Soldat walking along the catwalks cracked their whips to let the captives know that they were just that, captives. Duo didn't seem to notice as he was busy whoofing down his 'soup' at an alarming rate. Quatre chuckled as the boy finished and looked into the cup with dismay. Quatre stopped him when he began to break into the package he'd been given. "We may need these later..." He said gently. "They don't give in charity."  
  
Duo sighed, nodding his understanding.  
  
The doors through which they came slid shut with a metal clang. Quatre wondered what was going on. Soon, the whips were cracking in the air once again and the mass of bodies was being driven toward eight outlets. He noticed that the outlets led to ramps.... Quatre'd seen ramps like those before and his heart began to thud in his chest. Where were they being driven this time?  
  
Duo clung to Quatre as they were forced toward the apertures. Quatre held his just as tightly. Quatre had to hand it to the Soldat, they knew how to get the averse to do what they wanted and to go where they wanted. He and Duo stayed toward the center of the mass and kept moving, avoiding the forcewhips and sticks that their captures had brought out.  
  
They were stopped just as they were to enter the carrier. Quatre reeled back to avoid being touched by the shockstick. The carrier moved to second level and a new hatch open into which they were ushered.  
  
They all but ran to the far wall, taking seats and watching the others file in. Quatre gasped and Duo perked up as they saw the form of the sleek Soldat, Heero, being manhandled into the craft. The man seemed to look around, taking in all or searching something out... his eyes came to rest on Duo. In a few quick strides, he was standing beside them and seating himself beside the braided boy.  
  
The Soldat had just seated himself when Quatre smelled the sweet scent of gas and his vision clouded over. 'Here we go again,' was his last conscious thought.  
  
  
End Part 5  
  
Author's Notes:  
[1] Yes, I edited what happened at the end of part 4. I like this wording better.  
[2] Can't live without the green tank top! Even in an AU! And yes! Spandex will be in the fic! ^_^  
[3] I took some almost direct quotes from the book Freedom's Landing ebcause they worked really really well and I could not word them much better. 


	6. Six

Title: A Risk Worth Taking  
Author: Shi-chan (utenakat@yahoo.com or shinigami_ynm@yahoo.com)  
Archive: GW Addiction; otherwise: yes, please tell me.  
Category: AU, shounen ai/yaoi  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairings: eventually 1x2, 3x4  
()()()()  
Warnings: none yet  
()()()()  
Spoilers: none  
Disclaimer: nothing is mine. :-p  
Feedback: Pretty pretty pretty please!  
  
NOTES: at the end of the part  
  
  
A Risk Worth Taking  
---------------------------------  
  
Duo woke feeling as if he'd been rung through the wringer and been left out to dry. All his muscles protested any and all movement. His eyes and mouth were dry and his stomach so empty he was nauseous. He felt the press of warm bodies around him, but, he noted, the air was fresh, free of the horrid stench it had held before... and his lungs welcomed this. Subconsciously he noted the familiar prescence of Quatre close-by.   
  
After a time, he fought to open his eyes, what he saw made him close them immediately thereafter. They were lying in a field of bodies; front, back, left, right, bodies everywhichway. Also he'd noted, in the brief second he'd held his wide violet eyes open, they were no longer on Betelgeuse; the pale lavanderish sky attested to that. [1]  
  
Duo heard the stirings of angry, or at least irritated, voices somewhere off to the right... male, they were definately male voices.... accompanied by some odd snorts and grunts. There was also a lot of moaning and groaning going on, which told him he wasn't the only one coming around.  
  
With a muted groan, Duo forced himself to move. He managed to get himself propped up on his elbows, enough to take a better look around. He ignored the protests of his stiff muscles, and continued to look at the 'castaways'. He almost giggled as he watched the men he'd heard earlier contesting the possession of a line of crates. A few of them had climbed up onto the large containers and were brandishing knives, the metal glinting in the sunlight. The ones on the ground were mainly aliens: the goblinesque, squatty Turs (Duo didn't like them, they were an unpleasent lot), some hairy Rugarians, and the green-skinned Ilginish. [2]  
  
'We weren't given knives before they manhandled us here...' Duo thought, pushing off the ground. His body was slowly beginning to move more fluidly under his control. 'Why do they give them to us know?' Duo looked around for the Soldats that were running this encampment... only to find that there were none in sight, not even Heero and Duo knew he'd been dragged along for the ride.  
  
He stepped over to Quatre and helped the now-conscious boy to stand. "Thanks," Quatre muttered, his voice dry and cracking.  
  
"No prob, man," Duo said cheerfully, his voice, too, grating slightly. He wrinkled his nose at hearing it. Quatre laughed, looking around them.  
  
One of the humans at the crates was yelling at the aliens surrounding him. Obviously, even though Duo could not make out the words the man was saying, they were dealing with the knives for the alien, a Tur, was waving one in, what looked like, a demanding way.  
  
"You got t'ree now!" the man said in Betelgeuse, "Go one. Get outta here! Beat it!" that last was said in English.  
  
Duo smiled, which made Quatre wary, and almost ran over to the men. 'Americans!' Duo thought gleefully.  
  
Quatre held tight to Duo's arm. "Wait for the other creatures to leave, they look hostile..." he said. And who wouldn't be after the trip they'd had? Quatre was right, and the group finally dispersed, leaving the men to guard the supply box. Then, and only then, did Quatre let go of Duo's arm and allow the boy to take off in the direction of the box.  
  
-----  
  
Quatre sighed as he watched the boy walk over to the men and begin talking at a rapid pace. Shaking his head, he decided he needed to find water to quinch his, and Duo's, thirst. He looked around and noticed a stream. He headed up stream to where he knew the water would be fresh and clean, dipped his and Duo's cups in ('Amazing how we still have these,' he thought) and carried them over to the chattering boy, snagging their ration bars and blankets in the process ('AMAZING we still have THESE!')  
  
"... where we are?" Duo was finishing asking as Quatre came into earshot.  
  
One of the men began recounting items in the crate, obviously one of Duo's previous questions (that he'd rushed at them) was about the crate. "Knives, hatchets, some med kits with basic bandages and that orange stuff the Soldats pour on anything that bleeds." Quatre watched the man; he was in his early twenties and had the look of a military man. Quatre figured this man would be the one to take control, probably further than he had already with the crate situation.  
  
"You in charge then?" Duo asked, his voice flat as he sipped on his water.  
  
The man gestured to the man next to him, who jumped down and extended a knife in Duo's direction, handle first. "Can I show you how to use it, beautiful?" he leered.  
  
"You mean -- like this," Duo said, taking the knife, testing it's balance before flicking it into the nearest crate, which penetrated only enough to hold firm.  
  
"Whoa!" the man jumped back, falling into a semi-defensive stance. "Didn' mean to offend ya..."  
  
"None taken," Duo said, retrieving the knife and checking the tip for knicks. "Good steel..."  
  
"It's not steel," the military man said. "Nice to see a woman--" he stopped as Duo fixed him with a glare fit to kill. He blinked then looked the boy over. "Sorry, it's the hair...." Duo just crossed his arms and let the man finish. "Eh, Zechs Marquies."  
  
"Army?" Duo asked before Quatre could press the word from his mouth.  
  
"Marine," Zechs replied firmly.  
  
"Duo Maxwell. Where'd you get taken from?" Duo asked.  
  
"Reciently or on Ol' Terra?" Zechs asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Both," Duo said, taking a seat on the grass. Zechs hopped down and leaned against the crate.  
  
"Let's see... on Betelgeuse some fools stared a riot at a 'slave discipline assembly'..." He growled low in his throat, looking down at the ground. His long white pony tail trailed over his shoulder as he did so, the silky strands catching the sunlight and glittering like spun silver. "So some of the poo dumpheads were Terrans, humans, that were getting beat to death by the Soldats..." Duo shivered, thinking of what Quatre had mentioned before about Heero. "But they were damned stupid to attack any of those huge Soldats." He grunted in disgust. "Idiots." He looked at Duo. "Ol' Terra.... Libbock, Texas."  
  
"Denver," Duo chirped, smiling. He poked Quatre in the ribs. "He's from Denver, too."  
  
"Oh?" Zechs raised an eyebrow. "You're boyfriend, eh?"  
  
  
  
End Part 6  
  
Author's Notes:  
[1] I liked this sky color so I used it.  
[2] No, I didn't feel like making up new aliens. :-P  
[3] A few choice lines were taken from the book, if you can't point them out (without looking in the book) then I'm not telling! But sufice to say, they aren't mine.  
[4] About the end there.... ::cackles:: Mwhahahahahaha! I just -had- to do that! It just.... fit. ::shrugs:: I thought it was funny. ::continues cackling:: 


	7. Seven (teaser)

Title: A Risk Worth Taking  
Author: Shi-chan (utenakat@yahoo.com or shinigami_ynm@yahoo.com)  
Archive: GW Addiction; otherwise: yes, please tell me.  
Category: AU, shounen ai/yaoi  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairings: eventually 1x2, 3x4  
()()()()  
Warnings: none yet  
()()()()  
Spoilers: none  
Disclaimer: nothing is mine. :-p  
Feedback: Pretty pretty pretty please!  
  
NOTES: at the end of the part  
  
  
A Risk Worth Taking  
---------------------------------  
  
"Denver," Duo chirped, smiling. He poked Quatre in the ribs. "He's from Denver, too."  
  
"Oh?" Zechs raised an eyebrow. "You're boyfriend, eh?"  
  
-end part 6-  
  
Quatre's eyes nearly popped out of his head upon hearing this. Duo just blushed a deep crimson. Quatre sputtered for a minute, indignate at the though, but a vague, subconscious part of his mind wondered, 'Why aren't we?' He ignored the little voice, telling it that they were friends, that was why. Yes. "Duo's my friend, nothing more..." he almost chocked when Duo looked put out. "My best friend, since we were kids..."  
  
Zechs seemed to accept this, smiling at the boys sitting on the ground. "So you wouldn't mind if I..."  
  
Duo blushed again and Quatre glared.  
  
"Just kidding," the blond smiled, tucking a stray strand of silvery hair behind a seashell ear. "Besides, he's not my type..." Zechs stood, grabbing a hatchet or two from the supply bin and handing them to the boys. "Here. Might as well take these, too. There aren't any more ration bars..." he pinned his gaze on Duo who as gobbling one down. "... so you got to have to make do until we can figure out what's edible on this effing planet."  
  
"We'd planned to," Quatre said, his gaze still tracking the blond. The man carried the airs of a military man with the eloquence of of the Court. [1] They tucked away their hatchets as Zechs handed them a couple of small backpacks.  
  
"Hasn't got much medicine. Soldats don't use it, it seems. Tough mothers!" Zechs murmured in a sick kind of awe. It wasn't reverence but it wasn't loathing. It was a sickening mix of the two, something beyond description, beyond conception. But it was there.  
  
"Hey, Lieuy!" [2] someone yelled, running over to them. "There's a 'Dat! He's waking up. Let's kill the wanker before he does!"  
  
A sadistic grin on his face, Zechs called out an order for the others to join him as he began to race off, knife already in hand.  
  
"Wait!" Duo yelled. "If a Soldat's here with us, he's as much a prisoner as we are."  
  
"Who cares?" the man who'd given him the knife said. "He's a 'Dat and 'Dats should die."  
  
Duo grabbed Zechs' arm, "Zechs... I saw one Soldat in the same hold as me and Cat, he's a good guy."  
  
The blue eyed man looked down at him, disbelief ghosting his almost blank, but feirce features. "There are no good 'Dats," he snarled.  
  
"There are," Duo said. Quatre was going to kill him, but he liked Heero and he didn't want them to kill him... Liked him too much, perhaps? "And if it's the one I think it is, don't kill him."  
  
"You're asking too much, boy."  
  
"No, I'm not. I'm just asking that you spare him if he's the one I think he is... please?" Duo batted his long lashes at the tall man, his cherubic face imploring. No one could resist that face. "If it's the Soldat I think it is, he'll know a lot we have to find out about this place. Unless there were some guidebooks in those crates...."  
  
"And how would you know that about him?" Zechs asked, his voice icy and accusing, his cold blue eyes glaring down on the boy.  
  
"'Cause I watched him being hunted by other 'Dats.... They blasted him clear outta the sky, and then blew up the crashed flitter and searched the entire region for him to make sure they got him. Which they didn't...."  
  
"Then how come he's alive and here?" Someone in the group asked.  
  
"'Cause I rescued him, thinking he was an escaped slave like myself.... We hid him and got captured together...." Duo said, leveling his gaze against Zechs'. "When I came to in the prison, I figured they'd released him... Soldats don't hold grudges longer than 24 hours, ya know... But, before I blacked out in the carrier, I saw them push him in. The musta hated him real bad to dump him with the lot of us, you'd only be doin' their dirty work for them, killing him." Zechs scowled at him and Duo nearly grinned when he realized that bring that up had been a stroke of pure genius. "Fer cryin' out loud, man, they'd expect us to slay him, wouldn't they? So let's find out - first - what he knows. Then you can kill him." Duo grinned cheekily at them, hoping Heero showed them he was useful... Duo didn't want the man to die, he wasn't like the other Soldats he'd encountered.... he was something special. [3] 


End file.
